After CBC obtained an email that showed RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson instructing his senior staff to run any meetings with Parliamentarians through his office and that of the minister, warning of unintended or negative consequences to the government, Power & Politics hosted an MP panel Candice Bergen, Megan Leslie and Francis Scarpaleggia. Bergen said this was a practical protocol on communication and basic guidelines, because everything is being politicized in this atmosphere. Leslie said it was bizarre that the RCMP needs a minister’s stamp of approval to do their jobs, especially as MPs are a touchstone for their communities that the RCMP can access. Scarpaleggia said it was the government that was politicizing everything, and while there was no problem with the commissioner being informed of these meetings, having the minister looking over the commissioner’s shoulder like that undermines the morale and the independence of the force.

Bangladesh:

After the collapse of that Bangladesh factory that was supplying clothing to Canadian companies, Rosemary Barton spoke with an MP panel of Bob Dechert, Paul Dewar and Wayne Easter. Dechert noted the offers of Canadian assistance, and that while Bangladesh has signed on to international labour conventions, there needs to be more work to ensure those rules are enforced. Dewar said partners on the ground should be working with companies and performing site visits, and said there should be minimum standards including oversight that should be part of our trade agreements. Easter dismissed the notions of boycotts, noting that while these jobs may be low-paying, they are usually better than anything else the workers can find. Easter agreed these kinds of labour and safety standards need to be included with trade agreements, however there currently is no free trade agreement with Bangladesh.

James Bezan:

Power Play spoke with Conservative MP James Bezan about his private member’s bill to keep the most violent of offenders from having parole hearings for 40 years in order to keep from re-victimizing families the way certain offenders have done, toying with their emotions every couple of years even though there is no chance they will be eligible for parole. In response, NDP MP Hoang Mai said he is concerned the bill is flawed because it doesn’t address the parole process, and may wind up being an empty promise to those families. Mai also said that the bill might have issues with the Charter and our obligations under international law about there being a maximum of 25 years’ incarceration before a review process.

Programming note:This is my final post for Politics on TV on Macleans.ca. It’s been fun, and I’d especially like to thank the hosts and producers of the shows, who were accommodating and great to interact with.

On Power & Politics, CBC’s Greg Weston showed documents from 2004 that showed that terror suspect Raed Jaser was before the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) on a deportation order. Jaser and his family had originally been ordered deported in Canada in 1998 because they had come into the country illegally, but over the next six years, won the right to stay in the country except for Jaser himself, who had racked up a number of criminal charges, but his deportation was delayed as he was a stateless Palestinian with nowhere to be deported. By 2012, Jaser was granted a pardon for his previous offences, and free to become a citizen.

When Evan Solomon then put this to an MP panel of Pierre Poilievre, Hélène Laverdière and Dominic LeBlanc, Poilievre said he couldn’t comment on that case, but touted the government’s legislation to clean up the immigration system. Laverdière said it was too early to prejudge this case, but when she mentioned that she has a PhD in sociology, the conversation sidetracked to Stephen Harper’s comments about “not committing sociology.” Leblanc pointed out that they also condemned the attacks and that Harper was obsessing with Trudeau and trying to take partisan advantage of tragic events, to which Poilievre, incredulously, declared that “the root cause of terrorism is terrorists.” Case closed, apparently.

Cyberbullying:

Power Play spoke with Nova Scotia justice minister Ross Landry, who spoke about his province’s new legislation to combat cyberbullying in the wake of the suicide of Rehteah Parsons. Landry said that part of the aim is to form a group to investigate and follow up on complaints, and for there to be a liability for the parents of the children engaging in the cyberbullying so that there is accountability. While Landry pointed to the federal responsibility over the transmission of images, he said that their bill was not about making criminals of young people, but about helping to change behaviour. For a reality check, Don Martin spoke with Mike Preston of Supreme Advocacy, who said it was a laudable effort, but there are questions about jurisdiction as there is a provision for a $5000 fine and six months in prison. Preston also noted that the law is always trying to catch up with social changes and technology, but laws stemming from high profile cases can wind up with unforeseen consequences.

Assisted suicide:

After Canadian Susan Griffiths delivered a final video plea to Canadian MPs before her assisted suicide in Switzerland, Evan Solomon hosted an MP panel of Shelly Glover, Françoise Boivin and Ralph Goodale to discuss the issue. Glover noted that the Commons had this debate in 2010 around a Private Members’ Bill, and that she feels the issue has been put to rest. She also noted that she has a daughter with brain cancer who was given 12 years, now in year seven, and it was essential for her to have hope. Boivin said they will have no choice but to reopen the debate given the Court decision in BC and the Quebec government moving ahead with changing their laws on the practice, and that just because Parliament debated something once, it doesn’t mean it can’t be debated again. Goodale said the discussion is already ongoing, and will end up at the Supreme Court, which will inevitably kick it back to Parliament. He added that all parties should work together to improve disabled and palliative care.

Power & Politics had NDP leader Thomas Mulcair off the top for a wide-ranging look at the issues of the day. Mulcair said that Bill S-7 – which passed less than an hour later – was not necessary if one looks at the successful arrests over the past week, and that the violations of civil liberties therein wouldn’t survive a Charter challenge (never mind that many of the provisions of the anti-terror legislation were in fact upheld by the Supreme Court). On the topic of Joe Oliver’s trip to Washington, Mulcair reiterated his usual talking point that Keystone XL represents the loss of 40,000 jobs in Canada, and that their preferred route to get oil to tidewater is by the East Coast. On the Rehteah Parsons case, Mulcair said that Nova Scotia had done a good job with their proposed bill, and that his party has offered to help pass cyberbullying legislation before the end of June.

Joe Oliver:

Power Play spoke with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver from Washington DC, where he spoke about the long-standing relationship on energy and commerce, with some 80 pipelines already crossing the border. Oliver said that EPA report on Keystone XL is of more concern in Canada than the US, as the State Department has the primary responsibility on the file. On Power & Politics, Oliver defended his comments criticising former NASA scientist James Hansen for calling the oilsands “game over” for climate change. Oliver pointed out that the oilsands are 1/1000th of global emissions, and because Hansen knows his stuff, these kinds of exaggerated comments are all the more inexcusable. Oliver said that he trusts science too, and points to the research of Dr. Andrew Weaver. In response, Elizabeth May told Don Martin that Oliver’s “unwarranted and gratuitous swipe” was one of the sadder moments of this government, and that James Hansen is “untouchable.”

Terror bust updates:

Updating the ongoing look into the VIA Rail terror bust, CBC’s Greg Weston outlined the timeline from the initial tip brought forward by an Imam in May of 2012, to the beginning of the investigation in August of 2012 and its conclusion in February 2013, at which point American investigators asked the RCMP to hold off on the arrests while they gained more intelligence from their contacts, until the Boston bombings prompted the Canadian authorities to make the arrests. On Power Play, Robert Fife said that arrests in the US were likely upcoming and that it would be an exercise for those American agents to watch the reactions of American suspects to the Canadian arrests. Carleton University professor Martin Rudner noted that Bill S-7 would add provisions that allow Canadian agents to collect evidence in foreign jurisdictions, which they currently are barred from doing.

Worth Noting:

Treasury Board president Tony Clement spoke about the launch of the new federal spending digital portal, which is more than just numbers, but has charts and graphs that are easier to use, and will increase transparency and accountability.

Barry McLoughlin of McLaughlin Media said the new Trudeau ads work well in contrast, though Trudeau may be putting himself in a box with his positive spin, and noted that the new ten percenters are a case of the Conservatives “reinforcing the buy.”

Updating the developments in yesterday’s terror arrests, Power & Politics had CBC’s Greg Weston detail that the suspect Chiheb Esseghaier was under surveillance by RCMP as far back as May of 2012 when he went to a biomedical conference in Cancun, Mexico, and that there was an incident with a flight attendant at the time. While Raed Jaser’s lawyer said the timing of the arrests was suspicious, RCMP and FBI say timing was a coincidence, as one suspect began exhibiting a change of behaviour, and they were concerned about his travel plans. There were also allegations that these suspects were in contact with a well-known al-Qaeda agent near the Afghanistan-Iran border. On Power Play, CTV’s Bob Fife said that the investigation was more far-reaching than just in Canada, that there will likely be arrests in the US soon, and that Esseghaier turned down court-appointed lawyer, saying charges are trumped up. On P&P’s Power Panel, Greg Weston made the additional observations that the absence of CSIS and the FBI at yesterday’s press conference was telling, as was the shuffling of CSIS Director Richard Fadden, which was announced at the same time.

In response, Evan Solomon spoke with an MP panel of Candice Bergen, Randall Garrison and Francis Scarpaleggia, where Bergen was again evasive and said that they needed to trust that the RCMP made the right decisions, and that people needn’t worry about Bill S-7 as it has safeguards in place. Garrison said that the government is trying to take advantage of public events and that people aren’t looking at the threats to civil liberties in S-7, while well-funded police and security agencies are sufficient. Scarpaleggia said that fact that the measures weren’t used in their previous incarnation meant they also weren’t being abused, and that S-7 can be seen as a kind of “insurance policy” in case those powers are needed in some future case. Solomon also spoke with Yusra Siddiquee of the Canadian Muslim Layers Association, who noted that because the suspects were permanent residents and not Canadian citizens, it means they are subject to further measures under anti-terrorism laws than Canadian citizens would be. That the RCMP made their status known was likely a signal that they want to see if they can use provisions in legislation around that.

Darrell Dexter:

Don Martin spoke with Nova Scotia premier Darrell Dexter about his meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Rehteah Parsons’ parents. Dexter said that he spoke about needed reforms to the Criminal Code, as well as the need to create broader-based change and create an atmosphere where this kind of behaviour elicits the kind of social disapproval that stops it from becoming the kind of all-too common occurrence that it currently is. Dexter said that criminal sanctions against things like sharing “intimate images” without approval will help to create that social disapproval, as such act can only be done for malicious purposes, though he added that education and awareness-building was also necessary. Dexter said that Parsons’ parents were satisfied with their reception from Harper, and that they all believed that this is the time for reform, and to that effect, Dexter has forwarded a draft of proposed legislative changes that can be put through the federal process.

Speaker’s ruling:

In response to the Speaker’s ruling on Mark Warawa’s complaint of privilege, whereby the Speaker said that there wasn’t a clear case of a breach of privilege, but that MPs need to speak up if they feel they’re being marginalized by the lists, and he may end up recognizing them if they stand up in the House. Martin put this to his MP panel of James Rajotte, Megan Leslie and Rodger Cuzner, where Rajotte said that the Speaker threaded the needle very well, and that this kind of issue is managed well in his caucus. Leslie said that she wasn’t sure what outcome that she wanted when she spoke to the issue, but she does appreciate that the Speaker had nuance in his argument about ensuring equality. Cuzner said the Liberals are currently debating if they will still bring forward their motion on Members’ Statements tomorrow, and that the Speaker played a tough hand.

A mere hour after the revelation that the RCMP and CSIS had made arrests in a Canadian terror plot to derail VIA rail trains, Power & Politics spoke first with CBC’s Greg Weston, who gave what details he could – that the two suspects were watching the route for some time rather than any specific train, that they are not Canadian citizens but in the country legally, that they are 30 and 35 years old, the investigation is ongoing. Over on Power Play, CTV’s John Vennavally-Rao mentioned that there was a separate briefing for the Muslim community in Toronto, that one of the men was from Tunisia and the other from the UAE, and that it was a tip from the Toronto Muslim community that helped the police make the arrests.

Getting MP reaction, Evan Solomon had an MP panel of Candice Bergen, Paul Dewar and Irwin Cotler. Bergen said that she couldn’t comment on the incident because it will be before the courts, but that it was incumbent on the government to give police the tools they need, and urged passage of Bill S-7. Dewar said he had mixed emotions about the announcement – relief that it’s been thwarted and concern about what was intended, and that the Iran/al-Qaeda connection was strange. Cotler spoke about the attacks around the world with Iranian footprints on them, and that there may very well be a state-sponsored dimension if they were providing funds or direction to al-Qaeda operatives.

Intelligence analysis:

Evan Solomon spoke with both the former Assistant Director of Intelligence at CSIS, Ray Boisvert, and former FBI Special Agent Andrew Arena, for their analysis on the arrests. Boisvert said the links to al-Qaeda concerned him the most, and that it likely had to do with the online presence of the global jihad movement. Boisvert also wondered if there was a connection to Pakistan/Afghanistan with al-Qaeda, and noted that there seems to be a transition to softer targets like subways and trains as they are easier to attack. Arena said that it was possible that al-Qaeda was being allowed to operate with impunity in Iran, and that al-Qaeda doesn’t likely differentiate between Canada, the US and the UK in their operations because of our similar values. On the Power Panel, Boisvert added that there is the added long-term environmental and economic impact of an attack on rail infrastructure, and that Iran has a long history allowing al-Qaeda agents to operate in the country, particularly near the Afghanistan border, but that would be more a sign of acquiescence than active involvement.

Brent Rathgeber:

Don Martin spoke with Conservative MP Brent Rathgeber about the move to get control of Members’ Statements back from the party whips. Rathgeber said that he would like the Speaker to rule that there is nothing in Standing Order 31 that gives the party whips the power to vet the speakers or the contents of the statement, and that it will begin a process of reverting to the system before the Speaker accepted speaking lists from the whips. While he doesn’t believe that being denied the ability to make a statement is a widespread problem, Rathgeber characterized this as a test case where the backbenchers are now standing up against the problems in the system. He added that he likes that Justin Trudeau’s motion takes away power from the whips, but doesn’t like that it might be equal allotment for parties as it would overly advantage smaller parties (and my own understanding from their Friday scrum is that the current allocation scheme would remain).

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-the-via-rail-terror-plot/feed/1Politics on TV: Reacting to the Boston manhunthttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-the-boston-manhunt/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-the-boston-manhunt/#commentsFri, 19 Apr 2013 23:33:35 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=374749The three things you need to see

As the manhunt in Boston continued, and with assurances by Vic Toews that CBSA and the RCMP are at a heightened state of awareness, Power & Politics hosted an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Jack Harris and Francis Scarpaleggia to discuss this, and the government’s decision to reschedule opposition days next week in order to deal with the anti-terrorism bill, S-7. Leitch said that terrorism needs to be combated, and the government was focused on that by means of the bill, and by staying vigilant. Harris said that the bill doesn’t address the prevention of terrorism, and that the government needs to start finding ways of detecting when people go from radical thoughts to getting involved in violence. He also expressed concern about people making all ethnic Chechans suspect. Scarpaleggia said that the Liberals were supporting S-7, as it brings back many of the measures they first introduced in 2001 (which later sunsetted) and adds a new offence for those who leave the country to engage in an act of terrorism.

Chechnya and Dagestan:

Hannah Thibedeau spoke with Jean-François Ratelle from George Washington University about the revelation that the two suspects were Chechan in origin. Ratelle said that they could have been radicalised by the al-Qaida information available on the Internet instead of by recruiters, as they would have been more vulnerable to that kind of influence if they weren’t able to fully integrate into society. Ratelle noted that in Dagestan, where the pair had also spent part of their lives, a lot of young people don’t want to engage in radicalism or terrorism, but can turn to it when they are marginalized and repressed by police for appearing to be outwardly Muslim, and can’t find work as a result of that harassment. Ratelle also noted that because Chechan society is based on honour and shame, it should not be a surprise that the family would say that the pair are being framed, in order to avoid that shame.

Ray Boisvert:

Thibedeau spoke with former Assistant Director of Intelligence at CSIS, Ray Boisvert, who said that the manhunt in Boston would have been difficult police situation because of its fluidity and the need to ensure public safety while conducting the search. Boisvert said that the suspect had time on his side, and knows the area, which gives him an advantage. On the subject of radicalization, Boisvert said that the two suspects had some common elements, like disaffection, difficulty in fitting in, not quite seeing a clear purpose in their lives, an older mentor where the younger brother looked up to him, some foreign training, and now people will question how it happened under their noses. Boisvert also noted that they were very prepared, and were likely planning the bomb attack up to a year in advance.

Note: There was no episode of Power Play today in favour of continued manhunt coverage.

It was also Hannah Thibedeau’s last day as the regular Friday host of Power & Politics, as she moves back to mornings and Rosemary Barton returns from maternity leave next week. I’d like to give a special shout out to Thibedeau for her tenacity when it came to not letting certain MPs stick to their talking points.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-the-boston-manhunt/feed/1Politics on TV: Naming and shaming the boss from hellhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-naming-and-shaming-the-boss-from-hell/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-naming-and-shaming-the-boss-from-hell/#commentsThu, 18 Apr 2013 23:54:34 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=373906The three things you need to see

Public Service Integrity Commissioner Mario Dion released a report today that detailed the harassment and abuse that the former chair of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, Shirish Chotalia, subjected her staff to on an ongoing basis before her resignation. When Power & Politics spoke with Dion, he said that she was named in the report after consultation with the Privacy Commissioner because she occupied a unique position within the Tribunal, and because naming and shaming is part of his mandate as a deterrent effect. When confronted with Chotalia’s statement that she was targeted because the Conservatives appointed her and because “she’s a brown woman from Alberta who the unions don’t like,” Dion said that characterisation didn’t bear out in his interviews, though Chotalia never allowed herself to be interviewed as part of his investigation. With regards to NDP MP Mathieu Ravignat’s characterization in QP that she made the Tribunal enforce government policy, Dion said that was not in his report, and that Ravignat either misunderstood it or misrepresented it. On Power Play, Dion said that he had never seen anything like this case in his 32 years in the public service, and that Chotalia’s name is now on the web for people to find out about her actions.

Diplomatic posting:

Given the speculation that the Mountie in charge of Stephen Harper’s protection detail, Bruno Saccomani, will be appointed the new ambassador to Jordan, Power Play spoke with former diplomat Colin Robertson. Robertson said that this would not be a plum patronage appointment as Saccomani is a public servant who would be asked to take on a tough job where security plays an important role, and the fact that he has the trust of the Prime Minister would speak highly of him to the Jordanians. Robertson also noted that as the RCMP liaison in Rome, Saccomani has done diplomatic work in the past, and there is a long history of the foreign service taking people from outside to serve in particular positions in particular situations, and that it has generally worked out well.

Carbon Pricing:

With a Canada 2020 conference on carbon pricing taking place in Ottawa, Evan Solomon spoke with a panel of UBC Political science professor Kathryn Harrison, former Republican congressman Bob Inglis, and Canada 2020 vice president Diana Carney. Inglis spoke about his experience as a “Tea Party Republican” coming to terms with climate change, and his sense that revenue-neutral carbon taxes were the best way to go as free enterprise and an accountable marketplace are conservative values, and cap-and-trade schemes are hopelessly complex and regulatory. Carney said that carbon pricing is the simplest way to go, and while the term “carbon tax” is often misused, there needs to be a discussion about getting to a productive future. Harrison said that there are positive lessons to take from BC’s experience, such as the opportunities for political leadership, and how a right-leaning government was given more slack by the business community, but the negative lesson was just how easy it was to play on public misunderstanding of the issue.

Worth Noting:

Gilles Duceppe talked about his new job, studying the impact of EI reforms on Quebec’s regions, to help identify the problems and the solutions.

Hannah Thibedeau spoke about the state of emergency declared on the Neskantaga First Nation after a rash of suicides over the past year.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-naming-and-shaming-the-boss-from-hell/feed/7Politicizing the Boston bombinghttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-politicizing-the-boston-bombing/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-politicizing-the-boston-bombing/#commentsWed, 17 Apr 2013 23:55:07 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=373359Politics on TV: Who is saying what about Harper, Trudeau and the attack on Boston

It all began with Peter Mansbridge’s interview with Justin Trudeau. A mere two hours after the Boston bombs went off, Mansbridge asked Trudeau how he would respond to the attacks, and after Trudeau gave his condemnation of the attacks and condolences to the victims, he said that there should be an examination of the root causes. This morning, unprompted while at the Baroness Thatcher funeral in London, Stephen Harper condemned Trudeau’s comments as “rationalizing” and “excusing” the attacks rather than simply offering a blanket condemnation. And before QP, Conservative MP Stella Ambler repeated that statement in the House, and afterward, Trudeau gave a brief statement condemning Harper’s politicizing the Boston bombing.

Fast-forward to the political shows. On Power Play, what began as an MP panel of Candice Bergen, Randall Garrison and Francis Scarpaleggia talking about the security reaction in Canada started off with Bergen saying that this incident wouldn’t affect the Beyond the Border initiative, and Garrison talking about how the government did the right thing to take precautions but not panic, when Don Martin brought up the politicization comment to Scarpaleggia. Scarpaleggia agreed that terrorism is an evil that everyone recognizes, and that he didn’t understand where the difference lies with the Prime Minister in the perception of terrorism. But that set off Bergen who declared there was “no explaining this away,” and Garrison saying that Trudeau’s comments “mystified” him. All of this was just warming up for Power & Politics, however, as Bergen and Garrison ratcheted up their outrage to eleven, Garrison adding that Trudeau should have focused his comments on the victims and the first responders. Dominic LeBlanc, the Liberal on that panel, hit back and called the politicization patently ridiculous, that Trudeau condemned the attacks in the same interview and added that any responsible society should seek to root out the kinds of extremists who would perpetrate such an attack.

Temporary foreign workers:

With temporary foreign workers in the news the past two weeks, Don Martin spoke with immigration minister Jason Kenney, who said that a lot of numbers were being conflated – of the 200,000 permits issued last year, at least 50,000 were young Australians and New Zealanders and the likes who were here on “working vacation” visas, which are critical for tourism industries in places like Whistler, a large number were American executives – as part of our free-trade agreements – and that the real number in question was closer to 30,000. Kenney said the government was raising questions about why local people aren’t applying for local work that they’re qualified for in high-unemployment areas. In response were critics Jinny Sims and Kevin Lamoureux, where Sims said there was evidence of hundreds of Canadians being thrown out of work and being replaced by these temporary foreign workers, and that while there are issues of labour mobility, there also needs to be a look at pay. Lamoureux said a more holistic approach to the issue was needed, and touted the provincial nominee program in Manitoba that is part of the landed immigrant system, meaning they require fewer temporary foreign workers.

Bombs and ricin:

­With ricin being mailed to President Obama and another US Senator, Evan Solomon spoke with former Assistant Secretary of Defence Lawrence Korb and Harvard University’s Marissa Porges to see if there was any connection with the Boston bomings. Korb was reminded of the anthrax attacks post-9/11, and pointed out that anyone would know these kinds of attacks couldn’t succeed today. Porges said the attacks were almost certainly unrelated as ricin is a different threat with a different kind of expertise needed, and the attacker reportedly took credit unlike the Boston bomber. On Power Play, Don Martin spoke with Denovo Group Security analyst Robert Barrett, who pointed out that pressure cooker bombs were featured in the English-language Islamic fundamentalist magazine Inspire, and that it points to the decentralization of al-Qaida’s tactics so that any home-grown, domestic, or “lone wolf” terrorist can access it and take action into their own hands.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-politicizing-the-boston-bombing/feed/26Politics on TV: Security and the aftermath of the Boston bombingshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-security-and-the-aftermath-of-the-boston-bombings/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-security-and-the-aftermath-of-the-boston-bombings/#respondTue, 16 Apr 2013 23:32:22 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=372726The three things you need to see

In the wake of the Boston bombings, and public safety minister Vic Toews’ assurances of a heightened state of vigilance, Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Candice Bergen, Randall Garrison and Wayne Easter for their comments. Bergen wanted to assure Canadians that are working together with their American counterparts and are exercising that increased vigilance at points of entry. Garrison said that this was a time to be patient and to let the investigators do their work. Easter, a former Solicitor General, said he was pleased with the government’s response to date, and wanted people to exercise caution with the kinds of speculation that is out there.

Security reaction:

Evan Solomon spoke with former Assistant Secretary of Defence Lawrence Korb, who said that the attack was extremely well planned, given that they were able to do it without any initial traces, making it difficult to catch the perpetrators. Given that someone normally takes credit for attacks of this magnitude, and no one has yet, Korb suggests that it could be a random act of violence or a “patriot group” such as what happened in Atlanta in 1996. Solomon also spoke with former Assistant Director of Intelligence of CSIS, Ray Boisvert, who said that at this stage, one of the biggest challenges is collating the terabytes of data coming in, and that intelligence agencies will be using advanced analytics like facial recognition, and that going forward, there needs to be a balance between security and accessibility at these kinds of events, where people will need to be increasingly environmentally aware.

IMF growth forecast:

Power Play spoke with former TD Bank chief economist Don Drummond about the IMF’s downgraded growth forecast for Canada, projecting a mere 1.5 per cent growth this year. Drummond said that part of the problem is that the economy is in a “classic liquidity trap,” and that increasingly, trying to take measures become like pushing on a string, and that one can’t spend their way out of this situation. Drummond also said that one should take the IMF’s suggestion that austerity could be detrimental with a grain of salt, as their record isn’t spotless.

Worth Noting:

US Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson said that he appreciates the outpouring of support and sympathy from Canadians for the people of Boston, and noted that unlike previous incidents, the various agencies are not tripping over one another.

Conservative MP Ryan Leef, who was at the Boston Marathon, said that the past 24 hours have been surreal, and that his life-long sport of running has had the innocence stripped from it.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-security-and-the-aftermath-of-the-boston-bombings/feed/0Politics on TV: Reacting to the Boston explosionshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-the-boston-explosions/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-the-boston-explosions/#respondMon, 15 Apr 2013 23:31:33 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=372253The three things you need to see

Conservative MP Ryan Leef, who was participating in the Boston Marathon, told Power & Politics that he didn’t see anything as he had already crossed the finish line and was being moved through the finishing chutes with some two thousand other runners at the time, and was about four blocks away when the emergency personnel started racing to the scene. He said the atmosphere was already loud so he wouldn’t have been able to hear the explosions, and didn’t have any indication about the severity of the incident until he was changing clothes and getting ready to head back to Ottawa when the messages started flooding in. Leef said that the explosions were timed for the four-hour mark, which was a worst-case scenario as most runners finish at that time, and that it was a miracle more people weren’t injured as a result.

Public safety MPs:

Evan Solomon spoke to an MP panel of Chris Alexander, Randall Garrison, and Francis Scarpaleggia to try to get some reaction to the events. While Solomon tried to get a sense if security in Canada had been heightened, Alexander wasn’t certain, but said that he was saddened by the incident. Garrison noted the Boston Marathon’s iconic status, and that he was relieved to have heard that Ryan Leef was in touch and was okay, and he thanked the emergency responders and security personnel. Scarpaleggia said that one doesn’t expect these kinds of incidents at an outdoor event, and that governments need to constantly be vigilant, and to investigate in order to plug any holes in security that there might have been.

Evan Solomon spoke with Ray Boisvert, former Assistant Director of Intelligence at CSIS, to get a sense of what kind of reaction security and intelligence services in Canada would be undertaking at this time. Boisvert said that the initial investigation and the physical evidence on the scene would kick-start the investigation and generate leads, but it would then turn to the communications – sifting through telecommunications, emails, and trace checks from other agencies as a number of special security warrants are issued. Boisvert said that those billions of communications bits would have to be sifted through by analysts at agencies like CSIS to look for any possible leads or connections. Boisvert also said that while CSIS can often act as an early warning system in Canada, the RCMP’s national security component will activate their sources at a time like this, and CBSA will also play a role as the border invariably thickens. In his estimation, Boisvert said given the nature of the explosions, he would be inclined to look at extremist groups, but not necessarily from an organization like al-Qaida, or from a state-sponsored group.

Note: There was no Power Play in favour of continued coverage from Boston.

From the NDP’s policy convention in Montreal, party leader Thomas Mulcair spoke to Power Play, and began by commenting on the Labrador by election, where Mulcair said that Peter Penashue broke the law, and that premier Kathy Dunderdale could blame herself because she was from the same party. (Apparently he missed the province’s Anything-But-Conservative campaign a couple of elections ago, or the fact that not all provincial Progressive Conservatives automatically line up with federal Conservatives). Mulcair also claimed credit for the ousting of three cabinet ministers – Duncan, Oda and Penashue – which he claimed was from the hard work of the opposition, as opposed to the journalists who dug up the information on them. Mulcair also dismissed the concerns of the more colourful and socialist resolutions up for debate at the convention, and said that by the end of the weekend, Canadians would see a party has a progressive vision and who are responsible public administrators. Over on Power & Politics, Mulcair avoided answering questions on the makeover from the “Angry Tom” image and instead said “If you’re not angry with Harper, you’re not paying attention.”

Return of the House:

With Parliament coming back from a two-week break on Monday, both shows got a panel of MPs to weigh in on the issues, Power & Politics hosting a panel comprised of Pierre Poilievre, Megan Leslie and Kevin Lamoureux. There were fireworks between Hannah Thibedeau and Poilievre as Thibedeau insisted that Poilievre answer her questions on temporary foreign workers rather than reading statements that disputed figures from Statistics Canada on job numbers, while Leslie claimed that Jason Kenney was “conspicuously silent” on the issue of temporary foreign workers (apparently missing that he was in front of the cameras vowing an investigation the day the RBC story broke). Lamoureux insisted that there was no way that the country needed as many temporary foreign workers as we accept. On Power Play, an MP panel of Michelle Rempel, Robert Chisholm and Elizabeth May looked at the Rehteah Parsons case, where Rempel praised the way that Harper said this was about more than bullying, and said that they need to ensure there are laws in place to allow the justice system to seek remedies. May said the Parsons case was preventable and was part of a broader issue of the treatment of women, while Chisholm said that they need to make sure there are consequences for actions.

Rehtaeh Parsons:

With news that the RCMP in Halifax were going to reopen the case based on new credible information that did not come from Anonymous or an online source, Thibedeau spoke with Queen’s University law professor Nicholas Bala and Elizabeth Fry Society executive director Kim Pate. Pate said that it was likely there was enough evidence to proceed with charges against Parsons’ attackers but they simply chose not to press charges because women who report violence are not treated as credible, and that there are enough laws on the books that simply need to be enforced. Bala agreed that the police were likely not aggressive enough in pursuing leads, but the fact that there were recordings of the assault would help to implicate the attackers. Bala added that there are gaps in the law when it comes the cyberbullying aspect that should get greater legislative scrutiny.

With the suicide of teen Rehtaeh Parsons grabbing international headlines, Power Play spoke with Nova Scotia premier Darrell Dexter, who said that as they get more information about what happened, they are trying to design a response that looks across the lines of individual departmental responsibilities. Dexter said that this was another case where there were many opportunities to provide support and assistance, and it begged the question of where the gaps were, and pointed to the province’s bullying task force. On Power & Politics, Dexter called Anonymous a cowardly group that makes claims with little or no basis, and said that vigilante action is not appropriate in a civilized society. At a press conference in Calgary, Stephen Harper said that he wants people to stop calling it “bullying,” which has the connotation of kids misbehaving when this is youth criminal activity. Evan Solomon then spoke with Wayne McKay, who wrote the provincial task force report on cyberbullying. McKay said that the province wasn’t moving fast enough on his recommendations, especially when it comes to clarifying questions of jurisdiction, implementing courses on digital citizenship, or hiring more guidance counsellors in schools. Solomon also had an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Hoang Mai and Hedy Fry, where Leitch touted the action the government had already taken to combat bullying, Mai decried that his party’s national strategy to combat bullying was voted down by the government, and Fry said that there is fuzziness in the Criminal Code around how digital technology plays into critical harassment, libel and spreading false messages, but her own bill to address that was voted down by both the Conservatives and NDP.

Arctic patrol ships:

Don Martin spoke with Michael Byers from UBC about the Rideau Institute’s new report that calls the planned Arctic patrol ships a “titanic mistake.” Byers said that the ships would be required to patrol both the Arctic and the east and west coasts, but in order to be able to both break ice and travel great distances, they would be too slow to act as coastal patrol ships. Byers said the Royal Canadian Navy was responding to political directions and were stuck with hybrid vessels that would do neither job well, and wouldn’t have a deep sea port in the Arctic to service them. In response, the parliamentary secretary, Chris Alexander, called the report nonsense and said that the Rideau Institute has long advocated for smaller defence budgets. Alexander said the ships are still in the design phase, and that it was a new capability for them to establish a persistent, long-term presence in the both the high and low Arctic, and which can share responsibility for patrolling the coasts with the Coast Guard.

Peter Penashue:

Evan Solomon spoke with CBC reporter David Cochrane, who interviewed premier Kathy Dunderdale about Penashue’s comments about withholding authorization for a project until he got funding for the Labrador highway. Dunderdale said those kinds of comments are unacceptable and politically dumb, and that it’s bad policy to pit one region of the province against the other as leverage. Dunderdale added that she would dismiss a cabinet minister in her government that did that, and that there is a higher responsibility for a federal regional minister. Dunderdale also has no idea what project Penashue was talking about, and Penashue’s campaign said they wouldn’t reveal which project it was either. On the Power Panel, former cabinet minister Stockwell Day said Penashue’s description was nothing like his experience of how ministers behave, and that Penashue should say which project he referred to.

Worth Noting:

After having Calgary’s Child Advocacy Centre named after him, Sheldon Kennedy spoke about the need for a centre like that to be a one-stop-shop so that abused children aren’t caught in the system and re-victimized.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-reacting-to-rehtaeh-parsons/feed/1Politics on TV: The menace of temporary foreign pilotshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-the-menace-of-temporary-foreign-pilots/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-the-menace-of-temporary-foreign-pilots/#commentsWed, 10 Apr 2013 23:54:37 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=370286The three things you need to see

On their third day of focusing on the rules around temporary foreign workers, Power & Politics spoke with Air Transat pilot Gilles Hudicourt, who decried that rival airlines Sunwing and CanJet use temporary foreign pilots from Europe during their busy season rather than hiring Canadian pilots, such as those laid off by Transat, and training them on their fleets. Hudicourt said that these two airlines are abusing the system to gain a commercial advantage. Evan Solomon then spoke with an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Jinny Sims and Kevin Lamoureux for a third day in a row, and they gave largely the same points – Leitch agreed that Canadians should get first crack at jobs and the government was looking into the issue, Sims said the system was broken and was being abused, and Lamoureux agreed, though he did propose today that a Commons committee head to places like Alberta to study the seriousness of the problem there. A short while later, Solomon spoke with Mark Williams, president of Sunwing Airlines, who disputed Hudicourt’s claims, saying that the issue of training pilots for their fleet was more complicated than five weeks in a classroom, and that Sunwing sends their own pilots to Europe in the summer during the busy season there, and in return, they reciprocate by hiring those European pilots in the winter.

Cyberbullying:

On International Day of Pink to combat bullying, and amidst the fallout of the suicide of Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons after she was sexually assaulted and tormented online, Power Play spoke with Liberal Senator Mobina Jaffer, who chaired the committee that looked into cyberbullying. Jaffer said that the committee found there needs to be education, prevention and restorative justice in order to combat cyberbullying, and a focus on “digital codes of conduct” to help youth think before they post. Jaffer said that police told the committee that they have enough laws, and students said they wanted it dealt with at the school level. Jaffer said that Hockey Canada and the Nova Scotia government have contacted them about the report, and unlike other reports, this one had the main report, plus tools created for parents and students.

Peter Penashue:

After Peter Penashue told a crowd of supporters that he held up a Newfoundland project for six months until he could secure $85 million for the trans-Labrador Highway, Solomon had an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Jack Harris, and Scott Andrews discuss the implications of the revelation. Harris called this the politics of the past, and said that infrastructure funding should be free of political interference. Andrews said that it was no wonder they muzzled Penashue if he keeps saying stupid things, and added that he’s not sure what project Penashue held up for six months but if the Labrador highway was important, it would get funding. Leitch said that she too wasn’t sure which project Penashue was referring to, before she gave an ode to how Penashue was an effective representative, and did ALL THE THINGS for Labrador.

Liberal leadership candidate Deborah Coyne said that she is in the race to make the argument for the Liberal party to be a unifying national force, and that she will run as an MP in the next election regardless.

After obtaining Access to Information documents detailing the kinds of service industry businesses applying for the Accelerated Labour Market Opinion program for temporary foreign workers – a program which is supposed to fill niche demands for highly skilled workers – Power & Politics spoke with Gil McGowan of the Alberta Federation of Labour. McGowan said the documents tell a story of abuse, with 5000 employers being granted approvals that never should have been granted, and that this accelerated program has fewer checks and balances than the main temporary foreign workers program. Evan Solomon then spoke with an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Jinny Sims and Kevin Lamoureux, where Leitch insisted that the government is reviewing the program to ensure that it would be improved. Sims said the government was failing to do its due diligence, while Lamoureux said the government needs to take responsibility for the flaws in the program and that it has done nothing to fix them. Over on Power Play, Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner said that the government used the temporary foreign worker program to create a cheap, submissive labour pool.

Keystone XL:

With Alberta premier Alison Redford in Washington to make another push for the Keystone XL pipeline at the same time as a new anti-Keystone ad campaign is being launched in the States, both Power & Politics and Power Play spoke with Cal Dallas, Alberta’s intergovernmental and international relations minister. Dallas said that amidst the increase in rhetoric that they are addressing the issues that pipelines are safer than any other modes of transporting oil, and that Alberta has a robust climate change strategy which they are in the process of renewing in order to better meet their 2020 and 2050 targets. Dallas also told Don Martin that they are seeing good return from their lobbyist contracts around media strategies, organizing meetings with elected officials and senior executives.

Bird flu:

With a new outbreak of bird flu being reported in China, with eight deaths and 28 confirmed cases, Evan Solomon spoke with the Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Gregory Taylor. Taylor said that evidence still being collected, and that the outbreak is related to poultry, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission, or that any of the people infected have affected anyone else. Taylor said that one person from his department is at the embassy in Beijing liaising with Chinese officials, who have been very open and cooperative, and that the virus seems to be susceptible to the kinds of anti-viral drugs that are in stockpiles.

Worth Noting:

Public Affairs Manager for Google, Aaron Brindle, said that their cameras will be on the Hill for several days to capture the sights for Google Street View, and that those images will be online within several weeks once they’ve been processed and gone through quality control.

Power Play’s Commons Folk feature was on NDP MP Wayne Marston, who spoke about the tragic circumstances of the death of his sister when he was a child, his mother’s mental illness, and how he found his sense of self within the labour movement.

With RBC being accused of replacing Canadian employees with temporary foreign workers, and chairman of RBC saying that there may be one single temporary foreign worker as part of the transition process, Power Play spoke to immigration lawyer Chantal Desloges. Desloges said that it’s not illegal for RBC to hire a company to provide workers on an outsource basis, but the questions revolve around whether Service Canada dropped the ball in their labour market analysis, or if the outsource company, iGate, was not being transparent. Desloges stressed that it’s not an immigration issue, but an outsourcing issue. On Power & Politics, an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Jinny Sims and Kevin Lamoureux to discuss it, and all three agreed that it was unacceptable if RBC was in fact replacing Canadians with temporary foreign workers. While Leitch pointed to the investigation that the government would carry out on the matter, Sims said that the temporary foreign worker rules had been so elasticized that they no longer worked, and Lamoureux noted that the government’s own study on the system was being kept under wraps.

Margaret Thatcher:

Don Martin spoke with former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney about his recollections of Margaret Thatcher. Mulroney said that her legacy was in two big areas, with the transformation of the UK from being the “sick man of Europe” into a leading world economic power, and her political leadership to some of the greatest global challenges of the day, including ending the Cold War. He also spoke about their differences on the issue of sanctions against apartheid South Africa. Evan Solomon had an MP panel of Michelle Rempel, Nycole Turmel and Carolyn Bennett to talk about Thatcher’s political legacy. While Rempel spoke about the path that Thatcher blazed for women in politics, and how she changed the culturally accepted role of government around the world, Turmel was disappointed that while Thatcher opened doors for women, she didn’t do what she expected a woman would do. Bennett also noted that Thatcher behaved in a way that was not a feminist approach of consensus building or inclusivity.

Harassment:

Solomon spoke with former Veterans Review Board member Harold Leduc, who won his arbitration before the Human Rights Tribunal but says that he is still being subject to harassment by board members who remain in place, while they pass off his private information in order to discredit him. Leduc also says that the minister’s chief of staff has at various times told people that he was no longer on the board because they were trying to clean up problems, and that board members have shelf lives – though there are other board members who have been there for far longer than him. Leduc says that the harassment has triggered his PTSD.

With the Statistics Canada numbers showing that the economy shed some 54,500 jobs in March, and unemployment going up 1.2 per cent, Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Mark Adler, Peggy Nash, and Scott Brison to get some insight. Adler, however, was looking only to obfuscate and deliver his prepared lines about how great the overall trend was thanks to the government’s efforts, to the point that he appeared to be mansplaining it to Hannah Thibedeau, to her frustration. “These are very ugly economic numbers,” Nash said, and said that the government can’t take credit when things go well if they also don’t take the blame when they go badly. Brison noted the continued plight of youth unemployment, and said that the budget freezes training dollars at 2007 levels when they should be investing in a robust training strategy, lest they lose the potential of an entire generation of Canadians.

Food safety:

With the budget showing some $46 million in cuts to food safety on the way, Power Play spoke with PSAC Agriculture Union President Bob Kingston about the impact. Kingston said that if the department is stretched to the limit, then problems would become apparent – especially when emergencies arise. In response, the Parliamentary Secretary, Pierre Lemieux, insisted that the cuts will be in efficiencies, and to both executive and admin staff, and that part of the $46 million is because some programs are sunsetting in that time frame. With regards to the department’s own report talking about the risk of insufficient inspection staff, Lemieux pointed to the same report’s mitigation strategy, which includes regulatory upgrades and inspection regime modernization.

Elder Robinson:

Hannah Thibedeau spoke with Manitoba Grand Elder Raymond Robinson, who is on a hunger strike, about his meeting today with aboriginal affairs minister Bernard Valcourt. Robinson spoke about the sense of optimism going into the meeting, and that they discussed the contribution funding agreements that Robinson said that some First Nations communities are signing under duress. Robinson said that Valcourt offered to travel to his community if he ended the hunger strike, but when Robinson countered by asking for a commitment by Harper to meet with chiefs on a nation-to-nation basis, he said that Valcourt said it was never going to happen and laughed, which offended Robinson. Robinson continues to hope that Harper will meet with Atleo and make a commitment to respecting and honouring Aboriginal rights.

Michael Ashby of the National Pardons Centre talked about how the changes to the pardons system were having an adverse affect on those seeking them, who want to get jobs and contribute to society but can’t.

In the wake of the CBC’s major story on the leak of offshore tax haven information, Power & Politics spoke with Liberal Senator Percy Downe, who has been on the tax haven crusade for several years. Downe said that the CRA’s $4.6 billion figure of lost revenue is a low figure, and criticised their refusal to disclose what the tax gap in Canada is. Downe wondered how the government could identify what kinds of resources they need to fight offshore havens if they won’t identify the scope of the problem, and noted that of the 106 Canadians found to be hiding revenue in Lichtenstein six years ago, no charges were ever laid and the cases are considered closed. On Power Play, Don Martin spoke with the director of the International Consortium of Journalists, Gerard Ryle, about the leak that they received, to which Ryle replied that what surprised him the most was that the secretive world of tax havens was not the exclusive domain of the super-rich, but had plenty of doctors and dentists from every country in the world.

iPod tax:

With in the Internet burning up over the insinuation that the changes to the preferential tariffs in the budget would increase the cost of iPods – in essence, the iPod tax that the Conservatives castigated the NDPs for allegedly proposing (when it was about a levy for content producers), Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Michelle Rempel, Murray Rankin, and Marc Garneau to discuss it. Rankin pointed to the tariff increase, and wondered if the Conservatives were saying that tariffs are not taxes. Rempel responded by reiterating Flaherty’s statement that under General Tariff Agreement, devices that plug into a computer are exempt from tariffs – hence, no iPod tax. Garneau said that his party is poring over the documents, and are not 100 percent clear if this tariff will be imposed because it is difficult to interpret.

John Baird:

Power Play caught up with foreign affairs minister John Baird during his stop in Cyprus to talk about his tour of the Middle East. Baird said that he had been working with his counterpart in the UAE for the past two years to lift the visa requirement for Canadians, and said that they didn’t ask for quid pro quo on this move, even though the dispute began over landing rights for Emirates Air flights into Canada. Baird also mentioned his talks with Bahrain and Qatar with regards to Iran’s nuclear threat, and that he hopes to have important discussions on increasing security in the West Bank during his coming stop there.

Worth Noting:

NDP president Rebecca Blaikie said that the changes to the party constitution’s preamble is about better defining what the party stands for, and said that nobody understands what “socialism” means anymore.

Hannah Thibedeau noted that the CFIA scientists charged with attempting to transport the brucellosis pathogen were likely trying to get involved with commercializing the test they developed in Canada for the Chinese market, even though CFIA owned the patent.

Power Play got a briefing from reporter Daniele Hamamdijan about the charges laid against two former CFIA scientists – Dr. Klaus Nielsen and Wei Ling Yu. Nielsen was arrested at the Ottawa airport carrying 17 vials of brucella, while there is a warrant out for Yu’s arrest, though she is believed to be in China. Both are charged with breach of trust. Don Martin then spoke with Keith Warriner of the University of Guelph, who said that brucella is a rather nasty pathogen, more common in the days before pasteurizing milk, which is highly contagious and can cause flu-like symptoms for months. Warriner said he suspects the pair were not trying to sell it to Chinese agents, but were likely trying to get samples to someone doing research on the pathogen there. On Power & Politics, it was noted that China has seen rampant brucella outbreaks, and that Nielsen helped to develop a test for the pathogen that can save whole herds from being culled.

Tax evasion:

Power & Politics spoke with reporter Harvey Cashore, who was one of the Canadian journalists who received information as part of the leak given to the Consortium of Investigative Journalists that contained hundreds of thousands of documents on offshore bank acconts and tax evasion schemes. That information implicated some 450 Canadians, including the husband of a Liberal senator. Evan Solomon then put the issue to an MP panel of Shelly Glover, Murray Rankin and Scott Brison, where Glover touted the many ways in which the government is closing tax loophopes and providing the Canada Revenue Agency with more tools to go after tax cheats. Rankin called the moves baby steps, and noted the cuts to 3000 CRA staff over the past three years, and the lack of automatic tax information exchange agreements between countries. Brison called it a question of resources, noted that in 2005, the Liberal government devoted $30 million to going after tax evasion, which netted $2.5 billion in recovered revenue, and that there is estimated to be a $30 trillion shadow economy globally.

Robocall charges:

With the charge laid against former Conservative campaign worker Michael Sona in relation to the Guelph robocalls investigation Solomon had an MP panel of Michelle Rempel, Paul Dewar and John McCallum to discuss the implications. Rempel noted that the Conservatives worked proactively with Elections Canada, and that because local campaigns are separate and distinct from the national campaign, linking the two in connection to improper calls was potentially libellous. Dewar apparently threw out the presumption of innocence and declared “Sona did not act alone,” and said that it was now up to the lawyers to examine the evidence. McCallum said that it was critical that faith in Elections Canada be re-established, and that their proposed legislative amendments be implemented before the next election.

Worth Noting:

Power & Politics reported that Bruce Heyman of Goldman Sachs is the top choice to be the new American ambassador to Canada.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-pathogens-and-tax-evasion/feed/0Politics on TV: Radicalization and pipelineshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-radicalization-and-pipelines/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-radicalization-and-pipelines/#commentsTue, 02 Apr 2013 23:55:25 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=367518The three things you need to see

After the revelation of the identities of those Canadians killed in Algeria during the assault on the gas plant there, Power & Politics spoke with immigration minister Jason Kenney, who said that radicalization was hardly a new phenomenon, and pointed to the Toronto 18. Kenney said police and intelligence agencies have been effective with early interventions against radicalization, which are not publicized. Evan Solomon then spoke with MPs Paul Dewar and Francis Scarpaleggia, where Dewar said that Baird’s previous diplomatic blunders made him question how much the government was coordinating with intelligence agencies, and Scarpaleggia noted that they supported the requests for new measures by CSIS as part of the anti-terrorism bill that just passed. Power Play spoke with security analyst Robert Barrett, who said it wasn’t fair to say that CSIS dropped the ball with these two given the challenges of finding intelligence that would allow agencies to intervene.

Pipelines:

Power Play spoke to natural resources minister Joe Oliver about his announcement supporting a west-east pipeline, as Oliver said that it was in the country’s best interest to get our resources to tidewater, be it via east, west and south routes. He said that any new pipeline would get a full independent, scientific review from the National Energy Board, and that the west-east route would require some 1400 km of new pipelines in addition to existing lines in place. With regards to the pipeline leak in Arkansas, Oliver pointed out that it was an unfortunate incident with a 60-year-old pipeline that just happened to be carrying Canadian crude, which is not any more corrosive than any other crude. In response, NDP MP Peter Julian said that a west-east pipeline makes more sense, unlike the Northern Gateway.

Welcome to Canada guide:

Don Martin spoke to immigration minister Jason Kenney about the new welcome guide for immigrants, which Kenney says is aimed at promoting rapid and successful social and economic integration. Kenney said that the guide provides advice on things like how to get housing, a driver’s licence, connecting with local service providers, and certification. Kenney added that it was done after consultation with immigrants, and includes lots of inspirational immigrant success stories.

After Foreign Affairs minister John Baird made a surprise visit to Baghdad to announce expanding our diplomatic presence in the country, Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Chris Alexander, Paul Dewar and John McKay. Alexander said that the region is an important trading partner, and the government is focused on potential investment opportunities, as well as the need to be engaged because the country borders Iran, Syrian and Turkey. Dewar felt that the promotion of our diplomatic personnel from a part-time desk in the UK embassy to a full-time desk wasn’t newsworthy, while McKay said that it was better late than never, though he wasn’t sure what the presence would accomplish because the region is still too unstable to get to the point of meaningful trade and business opportunities. On Power Play, Don Martin spoke with Bessma Momani from the Centre for International Governance Innovation, who noted that while eyes and ears on the ground were a good thing, Baird’s real mission was about markets, and that the Middle East is a growing market.

Muzzled scientists:

With news that the Information Commissioner has agreed to look into complaints that federal scientists are being muzzled, Power & Politics hosted an MP panel of Michelle Rempel, Kennedy Stewart and Kirsty Duncan to discuss it. Rempel was optimistic that the results of the investigation would show that scientists have access to media, to speak on the research that the government funds, and noted that media protocols don’t mean a lack of access. Stewart was concerned that the muzzling of Canadian scientists was having an effect on the continental approach to scientific exploration. Duncan said that the investigation validates what her party has been saying about the war on scientists, and noted that if you don’t base policy on evidence, then you do on ideology.

Demise of the BC HST:

With the end of the HST in BC official today, Power Play spoke to former BC premier Bill Vander Zalm, who said that the move should have been done faster, and blamed the both the federal and provincial governments’ desire to continue to rake in revenue for the delay. Vander Zalm also said that he felt the compensation that Ottawa paid to the province shouldn’t have to be repaid, and that the delay in scrapping the HST was part of why BC Liberals are unpopular. But while his Power Play interview as fairly succinct, Hannah Thibedeau kept Vander Zalm talking longer, which turned into a full-on eruption of populism, a rejection of economics, and self-promotion of the book he wrote on the issue.

Power Play spoke with former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, who was also a former UN Special Envoy for Ethiopia-Eritrea, about the decision to pull out of the UN convention on drought. Axworthy called it a “quirky move” that didn’t make a lot of sense, especially considering that it is a treaty about getting countries and NGOs engaged on the issue and not a humanitarian aid project. Axworthy said that the “talk” that the Conservatives are criticizing is part of international diplomacy, and that the move to make Canada more of a hermit country is not plausible or reasonable. On Power & Politics, an MP panel of Chris Alexander, Paul Dewar and John McCallum looked at the issue, where Alexander rather petulantly said the move was about cost savings and achieving better results with other programs. Dewar noted that recently the Prime Minister said good things about the very same convention, and McCallum felt that the Conservatives were using this as a test case to gauge the reaction before they started pulling out of other things.

Robocalls:

Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Pierre Poilievre, Craig Scott and John McCallum to discuss the reaction to the Chief Electoral Officer’s call for legislative changes to combat improper robocalls. Poilievre was not yet sure what would be included in the government’s bill, but said he would be shocked if it didn’t pass before the next election. Scott said that codes of conduct are a good idea, but legislation is needed and he gets the sense that the government is wavering in their commitment to a bill. McCallum said he feared that the legislation would be toothless when it needs to include the substance of the report such as added investigative powers. Poilievre refusing to answer questions when Hannah Thibedeau changed topics (9:30 on the clip) was also quite a sight, as was Scott’s equivocating on why Mark Warawa’s motion was deemed non-voteable.

Liberal leadership:

Don Martin spoke with Liberal Party president Mike Crawley, who said the news final tally of 130,740 eligible voters for the leadership vote was great, because it showed a huge influx of new interest in the party, and that it was the most inclusive and participatory process in the party’s history. (It’s also the least accountable, but that’s another story). Regarding the number of “supporters” who didn’t register to vote, Crawley said that they knew people would sign up as supporters for reasons besides just the leadership, but simply to get involved. When asked about Bob Rae’s time as interim leader, Crawley praised him for keeping the party relevant in the House, for bringing in supporters, and for being involved in reforming and restructuring the party’s organization.

Worth Noting:

Jason Kenney (4:35 on the clip), noted for his anti-abortion position, declared his support for the subcommittee process that rendered Mark Warawa’s motion non-voteable.

Senator Catherine Callbeck spoke about being the first woman elected premier in Canada, 20 years ago, and how when she first got into politics, people told her she shouldn’t be there because she is a woman.

Power Play spoke with PostMedia columnist Stephen Maher about the Elections Canada report on misleading robocalls that was tabled this afternoon. Maher said that the report doesn’t have any information on the ongoing investigations into the robocalls, but rather that it makes recommendations on how Parliament can change the Elections Act. Those recommendations include stiffer penalties – up to $250,000 in fines or five years in jail – and the ability to compel testimony from witnesses, as Maher noted that three people in the Guelph investigation have refused to testify. As well, the report calls for proper identification on the calls, and a registry for all robocalls being made.

Muzzled MPs:

Power & Politics spoke with Conservative MP Mark Warawa, who said that the status of his motion on sex-selective abortions remains unknown because the sub-committee deciding up on its fate went in camera, and it won’t be announced until tomorrow morning. Warawa downplayed any notion that there is disunity in the caucus, and expressed his support for Harper. Hannah Thibedeau then followed up with an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Nathan Cullen and Dominic Leblanc to discuss the freedom of MPs to speak. Leitch, after praising Harper, said that “We’re a team and there are rules of engagement for a team.” Cullen said that of course the Conservatives are muzzled, and said that his caucus’ Members’ Statements are done on a rotational basis. LeBlanc insisted that Warawa was simply using the notion of free speech to couch the fact that he is trying to bring back the abortion debate when it has already been dealt with once this session.

Drug seizures:

Power & Politics had an exclusive report on drugs that the CBSA has intercepted at the border, with a street value of over $5.5 billion since 2007, the majority at the port of Montreal, and China and Germany being two of the biggest sources. Thibedeau spoke with former RCMP Officer Gary Clement and Jean-Pierre Fortin, President of Customs and Immigration Union, where Clement said that Canada is a trans-shipping point to the US, and that a lot of what comes through the country are precursor pharmaceuticals. He also criticised the cuts to intelligence officers at CBSA in the budget. Fortin said that budget cuts are taking their toll, that CBSA doesn’t have the manpower to do an effective job, and that replacing officers with machines at automated ports won’t help. Responding to the report was an MP panel of Candice Bergen, Randall Garrison and Francis Scarpaleggia, where Bergen noted that the government had increased the number of front-line officers, said that cuts were to redundant positions, and then tested out a new anti-Justin Trudeau talking point about how he wanted to legalize marijuana. Garrison said that more front-line officers are needed to not only interdict drugs but also guns, while Scarpaleggia echoed concerns about cuts to intelligence officers, and called the promise to somehow find efficiencies a “leap of faith.”

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-robocalls-warawa-and-drug-seizures/feed/3Warawa and Rathgeber take off their muzzleshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-warawa-and-rathgeber-take-off-their-muzzles/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-warawa-and-rathgeber-take-off-their-muzzles/#respondTue, 26 Mar 2013 23:41:26 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=365031Politics on TV: The three things you need to see

With the issue of MPs feeling muzzled around Private Members’ Business and Members’ Statements, Power & Politics spoke with Conservative MP Mark Warawa, whose motion on sex-selective abortions was deemed non-voteable and who was denied a chance to speak about it in the House. Warawa said that the expert from the Library of Parliament said the motion was voteable, and he plans to appeal the committee’s decision to the House as a whole if he has to. He also says that his motion is not about reopening the abortion debate, but is about discrimination against women and girls, and cited the UN figure of 200 million missing girls in the world before invoking the Montreal massacre and Malala. Evan Solomon also spoke with Conservative MP Brent Rathgeber, who said that he is concerned that members from all parties are being too controlled from their whips and leaders’ offices, and it is an issue about Parliament because it’s the role of MPs to hold the government to account. On Power Play, former Speaker Peter Milliken said there was a time when the Speaker controlled the speaking lists, and it may be worth returning to that system, as the content gets more partisan.

Skills training:

Evan Solomon spoke with PEI Premier Robert Ghiz about the new Canada Skills Grant program in the budget. Ghiz said that Ottawa is stepping on provinces a little, but he wants to see more details about the proposal. Ghiz said that since training funds were transferred to the provinces in 2009, they’ve been operating within the guidelines set out by the federal government, and that it allows the provinces to deal with more local unemployment issues. Ghiz said that the new proposal likely won’t work in PEI because they have more small businesses who would be unable to put up the requisite training dollars.

SARS lessons:

On the tenth anniversary of the SARS outbreak, Power Play had an interview with health minister Leona Aglukkaq about the lessons learned. Aglukkaq said that there was little federal coordination at the time that SARS hit, and that she was in the territorial government at the time and helped to develop their plan. She said that since then, their government has updated the pandemic response plan, which allowed them to respond more quickly to the H1N1 outbreak.

Worth Noting:

Power Play’s Commons Folk segment featured NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan, the first Tamil MP in Canada, who says that she helps to highlight human rights abuses being suffered in Sri Lanka.

After the young Cree walkers arrived on Parliament Hill after their trek from James Bay, Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Greg Rickford, Charlie Angus and Carolyn Bennett to discuss what it means. Rickford said that the government has common ground with those who aren’t content with how all levels of government aren’t working for them, and that they are taking steps in moving forward. Angus called the walkers “heroic” and said that their message was about creating a new relationship. Bennett noted that the government didn’t consult with First Nations or youth for the budget, and noted the oppositional language that the government employs when it comes to First Nations. Evan Solomon also spoke with Matthew Coon Come, Grand Chief of Northern Quebec, who said that this is about youth questioning the treatment of their people.

Thomas Mulcair:

Power Play had an interview with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair on the occasion of his first year as party leader. Mulcair spoke about the high quality of people in his caucus, and that he knows that the “malarkey” that goes on in Parliament doesn’t travel beyond the fishbowl of Ottawa. Mulcair said that there is more management involved with having a large caucus and staff than when the party was only a small group, and that they need to be more pragmatic with some things than they might have been when they were a smaller caucus. Mulcair also said that he’s aware that if Justin Trudeau wins the leadership he’ll get a bump in the polls, but it’s all part of a cycle.

Pandas:

After that pair of pandas arrived in Toronto today for the first five years of their stay, Don Martin spoke with the president of the Asia Pacific Foundation, Yuen Pao Woo, who said that the exercise is both symbolic of the warmth of the relationship, and substantive in the way that pandas help the two countries can get to know each other. He said that many Canadians are wary about China, and that the education process is crucial to deepen economic and political ties.

Worth Noting:

Jane Kittmer described her battle with the federal government over sickness benefits after she battled cancer during her maternity leave.

Power & Politics spoke with Foreign Affairs minister John Baird, who said that bringing CIDA into the Foreign Affairs umbrella is a more streamlined approach to the conduct of foreign policy, as humanitarian assistance is part of foreign policy, and it brings all of the experts under one roof. Baird said that the move wasn’t too controversial, and that the department already has two parts and two ministers, the other being international trade, so a third won’t be a big change. In response, Chris Hall spoke with Julia Sanchez, President of the Canadian Council for International Development, and former Foreign Affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy. Sanchez said that they have been calling for a stronger CIDA, but that they are not convinced this is the right time for such a move because there is no clear policy direction in place. Axworthy said there needs to be a more integrated relationship between trade, development and diplomacy, as the world is not divided into silos. On Power Play, Anthony Scoggins, Director of International Programs at Oxfam, said that while he buys into the efficiencies argument, he fears that there will be less of a focus on the reduction of poverty.

Budget reaction:

To get reaction to the budget, Power Play had an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Peggy Nash and Scott Brison. Nash said that if you want to reduce the deficit, don’t bring in austerity and don’t ignore infrastructure, and said that the lack of hard numbers in the document means we don’t know what the budget really means. Brison said that it is hard for the government to preach austerity when they protect ideological islands of profligacy, and that there are real issues with youth unemployment and $1 trillion in student debt. Leitch noted that the budget was developed after extensive consultation.

Shawn Atleo:

Chris Hall got budget reaction from AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo, who said that the document falls far short of what is required to transform the lives of his people, and the relationship with the government. While he was pleased that were more references to First Nations than ever before, there was not enough money for their infrastructure needs – $7 billion for water infrastructure alone – and the commitment to education needs to be seen with action. When asked about the training programs described as ‘workfare,’ Atleo said that chiefs have been advocating for measures like these, but the policy response was done unilaterally, and the opposition was now telling them how to feel about it. Atleo said that First Nations need to be in the driver’s seat, and that a fair share of resources would reduce amount of pressure being felt in the budget cycle.

Worth Noting:

In his last interview as PBO, Kevin Page told Don Martin that he has no regrets and would do it all over again.

In his reaction scrum, Mulcair decried that 240,000 young Canadians don’t have jobs, that the Conservatives have created a huge debt for the provinces, and that there was a proposed “workfare” program for First Nations, which he called a slap in the face and paternalistic. (Note: Evan Solomon and Amanda Lang couldn’t find reference to this in the budget documents). “You cannot austere your way out of a crisis,” Mulcair said, and said it was wrong to put all of their eggs into the “extraction basket” while emptying out the “balanced economy.” He did like that FedNor is being made a ministerial-level institution, which he credited to the actions of his Northern Ontario caucus. He added that Flaherty’s growth projections were wrong last year, and that they’d be wrong again next year. In response to a question, he said that an NDP government would take a different approach by looking at the long-term social and economic effects of their policies.

On Power & Politics, Mulcair added that it’s a good thing there is more money for cities, but that it’s a bit of a shell game because it doesn’t account for inflation. He said the skills training program was poor public administration because it simply took some of the money back that they were giving to the provinces in order to put a Canadian flag on it. He elaborated on his First Nations “workfare” comments, and said that they refer to the investments in training for on-reserve Aboriginals on income assistance, but which are only available if participation is mandatory. Regarding the news that CIDA is being amalgamated under Foreign Affairs, Mulcair said it could make sense if the money flows, but he is concerned it is simply masking a cut.

On Power Play, Mulcair said that the budget puts up numbers that are unrealistic, and that this is a “transitional budget,” which makes nice with the public after the budgets where they gutted programs and services. Mulcair said that if he could make one change to the budget, it would be to make real investments for First Nations.

Bob Rae:

In his reaction scrum, Rae said that the propaganda machine was working overtime in order to repackage and re-announce programs to make it looks like there is more there than there is. “It’s a rhetorical document, and about politics instead of economics,” Rae said. In particular, he was critical that there was no real new money for skills training, that the $15,000 job grant was only $5000 of reallocated funds from the federal government, with the other $10,000 expected to come from the provinces and the private sector, which he said was not enough to address the problem.

On Power & Politics, Rae said the budget has less for cities than they asked for, and that the government used a ten-year figure to hide the fact that the number is low. He noted that the capital cost allowance tax credits are not refundable, so they don’t benefit companies that aren’t turning a profit and only help those companies that are doing well, just like the adoption expenses tax credit. Rae said that the skills training program is the government doing as little as possible while taking most of the credit, and that the merger of CIDA into Foreign Affairs is a signal that it props up Minister Baird, because it gives him more influence.

On Power Play, Rae considered the budget to be minimalist, where they presented as few targets as possible. Rae said the government is investing less in real dollar terms over time, and that it was arrogant to announce the skills training program before negotiating with the provinces for their participation.

Jim Flaherty:

On Power Play, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said that if last year’s budget was transformative, this year’s is a consistent and steady budget, and while there are no big announcements, they do have priorities. He called the skills training program a major change that is part of the incentives for economic growth. Flaherty said he remains concerned about the delays to reforms in Europe and that the Americans are tending back to some of their bad habits. Regarding the amalgamation of CIDA into Foreign Affairs, Flaherty said that there was some awkwardness about the way that CIDA is run and who reports to whom, and that the change is a better “corporate structure” for lack of a better description.

On Power & Politics, Flaherty said that the Building Canada Fund for infrastructure is weighted more heavily in the later years in order to give time for things like environmental assessments for new projects. He also said that there would be negotiation with the provinces over the skills training program, and said that some of what they will be cutting will include travel expenses in favour of more video conferencing.

Worth Noting:

Elizabeth May said there was nothing about a climate plan to help meet GHG targets, and was concerned about what will be in the omnibus budget bill that will follow, as well as the fact that there are no numbers for any of the departments. She was relieved that sustainable development got new funding, but not enough.

Edmonton city councillor Karen Liebovici was pleased that the indexing of the gas tax fund means it’s a permanent fund that they can count on as a stable measure. She was also pleased that the Building Canada Fund is maintained and enhanced in terms of the types of projects that cities can use it for.

Ottawa mayor Jim Watson said that the inflationary escalator in the gas tax and the long-term number of the Building Canada Fund were good news, but that they were looking for more. Watson said that the need for infrastructure funds were about more than quality of life, but rather about increased productivity.

Power Play spoke with John Andrews of Queen’s University, who said that Flaherty’s calling Manulife Financial to persuade them from lowering their mortgage rate was “highly unusual” and said that there was a big difference between the Bank of Canada raising its rates or the minister setting mortgage policy, and calling up the lender. Andrews said that Flaherty crossed the line and that it was unacceptable interference in a free and competitive market. Don Martin then put it to an MP panel of Peggy Nash, Scott Brison and Stella Ambler, where Ambler said the concern was for affordable and stable rates in the long run, as interest rates will go up at some point. Nash said that the Conservatives used to want to deregulate banks, and won’t get involved with high credit card rates, while Brison noted that Flaherty helped to create the housing bubble, and that he would have been better off lowering the amortization period or raising the down payment levels.

Northern Gateway protests:

Don Martin spoke with Chief Martin Louie from the Nadleh Whuten First Nation, whose territory the Northern Gateway pipeline would cross. Louie said that their studies have shown that the pipeline would not be safe for the environment, and would impact the waterways, and therefore chiefs across BC have stated that they are going to stop the pipeline no matter what. Over on Power & Politics, Evan Solomon spoke with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, who said that it was in the national interest to see pipeline access to tidewater, and while the First Nations have a right to protest within the confines of the law, everyone would stand to gain enormously from the pipeline. In reaction, Peter Julian said this was a mess of the government’s own making, and the new envoy for First Nations on pipelines wasn’t enough, while Carolyn Bennett said there was a legal obligation to negotiate with the First Nations on a nation-to-nation basis, and it was little surprise they didn’t trust in the process.

Page’s final report:

Evan Solomon spoke with outgoing Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page about his final report, which said that the cost of justice is going up and is increasingly borne by the provinces, but the crime rate has been steadily decreasing. Page said that the government hasn’t been looking across jurisdictions to see how the costs are downloaded onto the provinces, and that while the government may talk about the “costs to victims,” that was beyond his mandate to look at.

Worth Noting:

Former TD Chief Economist Don Drummond noted that when the government transferred training funds to the provinces, they stopped collecting training information, so they don’t know where the jobs going unfilled are or what they are.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-mortgage-rates-northern-gateway-protests-and-pages-last-report/feed/1Politics on TV: Inmates, the budget, and protestshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-inmates-the-budget-and-protests/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-inmates-the-budget-and-protests/#respondTue, 19 Mar 2013 23:44:17 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=362238The three things you need to see

After Correctional Services’ internal audit revealed problems with victims not being notified with inmate releases, or cases where information wasn’t shared with parole officers, Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Candice Bergen, Randall Garrison and Wayne Easter. Bergen was concerns about the lack of victim notification, and that the right processes weren’t being adhered to, and said that they would accept the audit’s recommendations. Garrison said the audit shows that the system is overstressed with more inmates and fewer resources, and it was only going to get worse with more cutbacks on the way. Easter said that it all goes back to how the Conservatives handle justice issues, that they’re not incorporating rehabilitation and doing cost-benefit analyses of their policies.

Budget previews:

Power Play spoke with Ontario finance minister Charles Sousa about the hints that the federal budget will look at closing tax loopholes. Sousa said that they have been tackling these kinds of measures provincially, and that they need to identify where the interpretations in the tax codes can be changed in order to maintain a level playing field for all investors. Sousa also said that skills training and infrastructure are critical issues. Don Martin also spoke to Barbara Kirby of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, and Jayson Myers of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. Kirby said that the geographic challenges of getting the right people for labour shortages can be serious, which is why industry needs to engage with First Nations. Myers said that industry needs to be able to identify their skills needs and communicate those to schools in order to train workers.

Policing protests:

Don Martin spoke with Vancouver police chief Jim Chu on the promised return of Idle No More protests. Chu said that police are used to dealing with protests across the country, and have done a fairly good job of enforcing injunctions, but they need to ensure that democratic protest goes ahead. Chu said that police are often active behind the scenes to end protests peacefully and non-violently, while ensuring that they disrupt public as little as possible.

Power Play spoke with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver about his announcement of new “world class” rules for oil tankers. Oliver said that there hasn’t been a major spill from a tanker on the west coast, but they need to keep up with technology, and that the bill would mandate improvements to navigational system, tanker surveillance, aerial surveillance, money for science and technology, and the creation of an appointment of expert panel to look at oil and gas transport. In reaction, Megan Leslie said that Oliver just admitted that all of the government’s environmental legislation has to do with resource development and not protecting the environment. Elizabeth May noted that there haven’t been super-tankers on the northern coast of BC thanks to the existing moratorium, while these new rules open that up by stealth.

Alison Redford:

Power & Politics spoke with Alberta premier Alison Redford, who was in town today to talk to the Economic Club of Canada, and who hit back against comments that Thomas Mulcair made on his trip to Washington. Redford said that it was necessary to understand the importance of the future of the energy economy, especially if Mulcair wants money for his social spending plans. Redford said that the half-page ad in the New York Times, at a $30,000 price tag, was about correcting the misinformation around the science of the oilsands that is playing on people’s emotions. Redford said she wants the discussion to be factual on Alberta’s environmental record, their price on carbon, and emissions targets for 2020 and 2050. On Power Play, Redford also introduced her province’s new representative in Ottawa, Alan Ross.

Pre-budget positioning:

After the NDP launched a pre-budget campaign dubbed “Real things for real people,” Terry Milewski hosted an MP panel of Mark Adler, Peggy Nash, and Scott Brison to discuss their positions. Nash said that the Conservatives were pulling the numbers they are attacking the NDP with out of thin air, and described her party’s plan as being about switching priorities as opposed to an alternative budget, and she avoided Milewski’s questions about the costs. Adler touted the government’s announcements and projects, similarly ignoring an increasingly impatient Milewski’s attempts to get specifics. Brison spoke about the youth unemployment crisis, and the unaddressed issues around training, but said that the government’s goal of balancing the budget by 2015 was a political objective rather than a realistic economic one.

Worth Noting:

CBC’s Laura Payton spoke about how Chief Electoral Officer Mark Mayrand gave Peter Penashue until March 4th to clean up his election records lest he be objected from the Commons.

After US Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi expressed doubts about the Keystone XL Pipeline, Power & Politics spoke with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, who said that most US legislators believe the project is important. Oliver said that Mulcair’s visit was not helpful and may have undermined the project, regardless of what he explicitly said to Pelosi. Hannah Thibedeau then spoke with MPs Peter Julian and Massimo Pacetti for their reactions. Julian said that Mulcair’s visit was about opening doors and meeting with stakeholders, and that the Harper government’s own inaction on climate change was undermining their case for Keystone XL. Macetti noted that the press clippings show that Mulcair did a good job of ruining Canada’s reputation in Washington, and that the question for Liberals is how many jobs Keystone XL will create, as the numbers diverge wildly. Over on Power Play, Don Martin spoke with US Republican Senator John Hoeven, who is sponsoring a bill to approve the project with bi-partisan support, feeling that it has taken too long for approval.

Jean-Pierre Kingsley:

Hannah Thibedeau spoke with former Chief Electoral Officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley about Peter Penashue’s resignation, and Kingsley said that it’s a very big deal as the resignation signals that laws were broken. Kingsley said that the Commissioner of Elections will need to complete his investigation and send his recommendation to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and then go before a court if charges are laid – something that is unlikely to happen in the six months before a by-election needs to be called. Kingsley said that as the candidate, Penashue signed all of the forms, and that signature means something – that he too is responsible for the donations and spending. Kingsley also said that Election Canada has the resources it needs, but they may need to look at finding ways of pre-empting certain steps – like going through Public Prosecutions – in order to save some time in their processes.

Regulating robocalls:

Power Play spoke with Graham Fox, President of the Institute for the Research on Public Policy, about the IRPP’s report on regulations for tools like robocalling, but also other forms of databases now being employed by political parties. Fox said that all of the participants at the roundtable discussions agreed that steps need to be taken to ensure that these activities are monitored and regulated, which could require a response from Parliament. Fox said that currently there is no recourse if a party loses their voters’ private information, as there is nothing to compel parties to protect that information. Fox said that the debate is not about the technology, but the content.

Worth Noting:

Irish Ambassador Ray Bassett spoke to Don Martin about how Newfoundland is the most Irish place outside of Ireland, and other aspects of the Irish-Canadian relationship, including the size of Canadian investment in Ireland.

After Intergovernmental Affairs minister Peter Penashue announced his resignation over elections spending violations, Power & Politics first heard from senior correspondent Terry Milewski, who said that Penashue had no choice because there was no defence against the violations. Milewski said that while Penashue blamed his official agent, Reg Bowers, calling him inexperienced, Bowers was an accountant with many years’ experience who later got a government patronage appointment – which he resigned from as well today. The three main violations Penashue is accused of include accepting free flights, an interest-free loan, and improper corporate donations. Evan Solomon then spoke with MPs Jack Harris and Dominic LeBlanc – but no one from the government was made available. Harris said the allegations were serious, but ultimately went back to the party’s ethical standards. LeBlanc noted that the candidate also signs the papers the official agent prepares, and is responsible, and that it was surprising that Harper would sign the nomination papers of a candidate that demonstrates either gross incompetence or who broke the rules, but he apparently will as Penashue will run in a by-election. Later in the show, Laura Payton revealed that Penashue repaid $30,000 – more than they have calculated the donations to be, and added that she’s not sure where the money comes from because the campaign was broke and needed that questionable loan to pay the bills.

Upcoming budget:

As Jim Flaherty has announced that March 21st will be Budget Day, Evan Solomon held an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Peggy Nash, and John McCallum to discuss it. Leitch said that she wouldn’t speculate on the budget, and then repeated good news talking points. Nash said that Flaherty wasn’t listening to the needs of Canadians and listed the cuts he has made to date, and said that she wants more investment in things like infrastructure. McCallum said that the Liberals are calling for a freeze on EI premiums, and would like to see a ten-year infrastructure program, but said that he doesn’t expect to see anything other than billions in cuts and boasts about millions in expenditures.

Robocall charges:

Power Play spoke with Ottawa Citizen reporter Glen McGregor about the news that Elections Canada is recommending for charges for the Guelph robocalls in the last election connected to “Pierre Poutine.” McGregor noted that the investigation has been ongoing for 21 months, and that investigators now have enough evidence to proceed with charges. The Commissioner of Elections has referred the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will decide if he will lay charges. McGregor also said that there are continuing investigations in a couple of hundred other ridings, and the rumours are that more than one person was named in the Guelph report.

Worth Noting:

Conservative MP Scott Armstrong was profiled as part of the Power Play Commons Folk feature, where he spoke about his experience as a school principle, his riding, and how he traces his roots back to Sir John A. Macdonald’s sister.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-dissecting-peter-penashues-resignation/feed/2Murray and Hall Findlay insist they’ll see Liberal race to the finishhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-murray-and-hall-findlay-vow-to-carry-on-the-race/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-murray-and-hall-findlay-vow-to-carry-on-the-race/#respondWed, 13 Mar 2013 23:36:02 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=360226Politics on TV: The three things you need to see

With the announcement that Marc Garneau has dropped out of the Liberal leadership race, Power Play spoke first with Joyce Murray, who affirmed she is in it for the duration. “Even though the spaceman has bowed out, the down-to-earth businesswoman is going on all cylinders,” she quipped. Murray cast doubt on the poll numbers that Garneau cited, saying they were from a robocall. Don Martin also spoke to Martha Hall Findlay, who also confirmed she is staying in because the race needs a substantive, experienced alternative who understands economics, before she listed the problems with Murray’s dead letter co-operation proposal. Hall Findlay also noted the real math to contend with in the race is the equal weighting of each riding’s votes, as opposed to sheer numbers.

Thomas Mulcair:

Power & Politics spoke with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair from Washington DC. After some congratulatory words for the new pope, Mulcair said his trip was an important exercise to get Americans to know who they are as a party, as they are not one of the “old-line parties.” He reiterated his pledge that an NDP government would focus on getting a better price for oil and take care of Canada’s energy security first. In response, Industry Minister Tony Clement said Mulcair has every right to be in Washington, but that his message isn’t one that pursues Canadian interests, and that Mulcair isn’t telling the truth about Canada’s environmental record. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall hit this point even harder, saying Mulcair was leaving a “path of destruction” for Canada’s energy sector.

French PM:

Don Martin spoke with French Ambassador Philippe Zeller about the visit by French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Zeller said the economic and business relationship between our countries is increasing steadily, and that the free trade agreement being negotiated between Canada and the EU covers more than trade, but is also about protecting investments on both sides. Zeller hinted a final decision was likely in weeks. Zeller also spoke highly of Canada’s contribution of logistical support to the mission in Mali.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-murray-and-hall-findlay-vow-to-carry-on-the-race/feed/0What Joe Oliver said about Mulcair’s trip to Washingtonhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-oliver-rcmp-changes-and-elected-senators/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-oliver-rcmp-changes-and-elected-senators/#commentsTue, 12 Mar 2013 23:55:52 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=359578Politics on TV: The three things you need to see

Power & Politics spoke with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver about Thomas Mulcair’s trip to Washington during which he adopted an ostensibly neutral position on Keystone XL except to claim it will cost 40,000 Canadian jobs. Oliver called it a “bizarre kind of a trip.” The minister reiterated that the pipeline will create jobs in Canada — that there will be greater economic benefit by getting Canada’s oil to tidewater. “First of all,” Oliver said, “it’s not going to cost jobs, it’s going to create jobs in the tens of thousands. So he’s simply wrong. The fact that there will be some jobs in the United States does not mean there are not going to be jobs in Canada.” Oliver said that because Canada doesn’t have a command-and-control economy, energy projects must be economically viable, and Canada needs market diversity. He said Mulcair is on very shaky ground. “I find it a bit odd that he does not have the courage of his convictions.”

In response, Peter Julian said the NDP’s real concern is the export of jobs, but they won’t tell the Americans what decision to make. Megan Leslie told Power Play that Canada has unmet refining capacity and the US is outspending us 18-to-1 on renewable energy.

RCMP changes:

With concerns that the changes to RCMP legislation could put some officers in a difficult position, Evan Solomon heard from Rob Creasser from the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada, who said that the bill is likely not Charter compliant, and that MPs didn’t hear from front-line police at committee. Solomon then heard from an MP panel of Robert Goguen, Jack Harris and Wayne Easter to discuss the comments and the bill, where Goguen said that the bill deals with administrative and not criminal law, and that the complaints in the Force need to be addressed. Harris said that while the bill does give more power to the Commissioner, it doesn’t actually deal with harassment within the Force. Easter noted that Creasser’s group has long wanted a union to represent the rank-and-file, which is an ongoing debate, but that the bill responds to a request made by Commissioner Paulson, though any opposition amendments were shut down out of hand.

“Elected” Senators:

Power Play spoke with “elected” Alberta Senator Bert Brown, who reaches the age of mandatory retirement next week. Brown says that the pace of Senate reform is slowed down by the need to get seven out of ten provinces to sign on for a constitutional amendment, and provinces that are planning on legislation haven’t put it forward or enacted it. Brown says that he wants Senate elections and renewable term limits. Don Martin then spoke with Brown’s putative replacement, Scott Tannas – the next in line after Alberta’s most recent Senate “election.” Tannas said that he feels the momentum of Senate reform will increase in the next five to ten years, and that he wants the Senate to be seen to be more effective in tackling long-term problems that the Commons seems to avoid because of electoral cycles.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-oliver-rcmp-changes-and-elected-senators/feed/2Politics on TV: Devolution, dismissal, and a trip to Washingtonhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-devolution-dismissal-and-a-trip-to-washington/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-devolution-dismissal-and-a-trip-to-washington/#respondMon, 11 Mar 2013 23:45:41 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=359288The three things you need to see

Power Play spoke with former NWT Premier Stephen Kakfwi about the devolution deal that was signed today by Stephen Harper in Yellowknife. Kakfwi said that devolution is still in a work in progress, but not all First Nations groups are on side, and there is time before the deal is finalized to get them on side. Kakfwi said that he hopes that with the new powers the territorial government will ensure it can take a balanced and mature approach to the issues they will now be dealing with, but noted that they have taken some curiously contrary positions on certain land use agreements. Jerald Sabin, founding editor of Northern Pubic Affairs magazine, pointed out that devolution has been a process for the past 45 years, and that the NWT’s growth has been stagnant, and it is hoped the devolution of these powers will help kick-start their economic development.

Howard Sapers’ report:

With Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers concerned that his report on Aboriginals in prison has been dismissed by the Correctional Services, Power & Politics hosted an MP panel of Chris Alexander, Jack Harris and Francis Scarpaleggia (first 17 minutes) to discuss the response. Alexander said that more bureaucracy was not the solution, and then gave lines about crime rates and laws only targeting criminals. Harris said that Corrections has demonstrated two decades of failure to address the issue, especially as legislation put in place to deal with it hasn’t been followed, and that there needs to be leadership on the issue. Scarpaleggia said there is a blockage within CSC, which is the only explanation for why a healing lodge was opened in Edmonton but not filled with inmates, and that if the minister was concerned with the budget for a deputy commissioner to oversee the issue, he could re-profile the funds he already has available.

Mulcair’s trip:

To discuss Thomas Mulcair’s trip to Washington DC, Don Martin spoke with Laura Dawson of Dawson Strategic and Anne McGrath of Ensight. McGrath said that Mulcair was not going down to lecture, but to establish relationships with the players there, though he has concerns about how Keystone XL would export jobs. Dawson said it is always difficult to get the attention of the people in Washington, and that he needs a clear delineation of quid pro quo – but that Keystone XL is a no-win situation for Mulcair.

Power & Politics spoke with the president of Manitoba Métis Federation, David Chartrand, about the court’s decision. Chartrand called it a vindication of history for his people and for Louis Riel, who paid the ultimate price. Chartrand said that this was a story not being taught, but all of the documents came from the government’s own archives. While the land claim would encompass Winnipeg and the surrounding area, they are not asking for it back, but hope to use this declaration to get the Prime Minister to the table to resolve their unfinished claims. Chartrand spent 17 years, and over $5 million in costs on the challenge.

Kevin Page:

Power Play spoke with outgoing Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page about the appointment of the Parliamentary Librarian as his interim replacement. Page said that this was a mistake on the part of the Prime Minister, and a mistake on the part of the Librarian in accepting it, as the people in his office have experience that the Librarian doesn’t have. Page said this is a signal that the office is being marginalized and that it looks like the plan is to drift his office back into the Library for a more research-oriented role. Don Martin also made this the subject of his Last Word.

Economic forecasts:

Don Martin spoke with RBC Chief Economist Craig Wright about the meeting with Jim Flaherty, to which Wright told him that they expect some reductions in government and consumer spending, but that they hope to be pleasantly surprised by overall economic growth. Wright also said that they were less worried about risk of debt-to-income because of a cooling – but not collapsing – housing market. Hannah Thibedeau had an MP panel to discuss the meeting, where Peggy Nash accused the government of painting too rosy a picture with its “growth-killing austerity budget,” while Scott Brison said that he is looking for a commitment to investments in creating jobs for young Canadians in the upcoming budget.

Worth Noting:

Hannah Thibedeau spoke with author Sally Armstrong about her book Ascent of Women on International Women’s Day.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-manitoba-metis-kevin-page-and-economists/feed/0Politics on TV: Howard Sapers, wireless spectrum, and the Ring of Firehttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-howard-sapers-wireless-spectrum-and-the-ring-of-fire/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/politics-on-tv-howard-sapers-wireless-spectrum-and-the-ring-of-fire/#commentsFri, 08 Mar 2013 00:46:17 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=358285The three things you need to see

Power Play spoke with Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers, whose report says that under every measure, Aboriginal offenders fare worse than non-Aboriginal offenders, and that this is a sustained difference. Sapers spoke about the legislative mandate for alternative sentencing for Aboriginals and ways in which the communities should be allowed to participate in planning for parole, however the programmes are not implemented, even though funds were earmarked for them. On Power & Politics, AFN Regional Chief for Alberta Cameron Alexis noted that out of 19000 employees at Corrections Canada, only 12 are Aboriginals working on programming, and that the problems in their communities have to do with a lack of adequate funds for education, health and child welfare.

Wireless spectrum:

Power & Politics spoke with Industry Minister Christian Paradis, who said that the new wireless spectrum will hopefully increase competition among wireless carriers, which will in turn lead to better rates for consumers. Paradis said that they are also extending the obligations for tower sharing and roaming indefinitely, and tightening the rules around arbitration and good faith negotiation between players, and that their policies to date have been a work in progress. Paradis called the government’s approach to date to be “balanced” and “less intrusive,” but said that they would intervene more if necessary.

Ring of Fire:

Don Martin spoke to Treasury Board president Tony Clement, who has been appointed to oversee the development of the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario. Clement said that with 15 departments involved and an estimated $120 billion in economic activity to be developed, a single minister was needed to coordinate the various issues, especially as there will need to be a focal point when it comes to discussions with First Nations partners in the area. Clement listed some of the challenges for the region as including things like environmental assessments, transportation of raw minerals to processing plants in Sudbury, electricity, and other infrastructure concerns.

Worth Noting:

Senator Romeo Dallaire recalled the time when he played his cassette of Stompin’ Tom Connors at full blast while the Canadian compound in Rwanda was being shelled, and that everyone started to sing along, helping to keep everyone focused.

Power Play had a preview of a Correctional Investigator report on how the Aboriginal prison population in prisons soared to 23 per cent when they represent only four per cent of population, as well as only modest progress on providing alternative forms of Aboriginal justice. Don Martin spoke with Christa Big Canoe, legal director of Aboriginal Legal Services, who said that the figures should shock the population but are not surprising. Big Canoe said that crime isn’t necessarily higher among Aboriginals than non-Aboriginals, but that they have been over-incarcerated historically, and that Corrections Canada should be providing more culturally appropriate services like healing circles as they have a legislative mandate to.

Venezuela:

After the Venezuelan Deputy Minister for North America, Claudia Salerno, denounced Harper’s letter of condolence as being inappropriate, Power & Politics summoned an MP Panel of Deepak Obhrai, Paul Dewar and Dominic LeBlanc to discuss it. Obhrai said that the government stands by Harper’s remarks and points out that Chavez was a controversial leader who had been accused of human rights abuses and curtailing freedom of speech. Dewar pointed to his own letter, which was focused on condolences for the family and the people of Venezuela, and said that Harper overreached by going into politics. LeBlanc said that while Chavez’ record was a mixed one, he became a larger-than-life figure in his country, and that the government was correct in saying that it will be time to build on the relationship with Venezuela once the period of mourning is over, but that the letter could have been more sensitive.

Pitching Keystone XL:

With political leaders in Canada taking to the US to pitch the green message for Keystone XL, Hannah Thibedeau heard from an MP panel of David Anderson, Megan Leslie and Kirsty Duncan. Anderson said that it was about market diversification for Canada and market stability for the US, before delivering the standard “sector by sector” lines. Leslie said that she disagreed with the US State Department report, and that approving the pipeline would lock-in expansion of the oilsands, while the government was in “panic mode” with their “greenwashing” tour in the States. Duncan said that the government has been misleading with their record, that their sector-by-sector approach is not comprehensive but a delay tactic, and that their oilsands monitoring plan is just a showpiece as it has no governance structure.

Power Play spoke with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair about his party’s opposition day motion on Senate abolition. Mulcair said he wanted to start the conversation around abolition with the provinces and territories before 2015, but skirted around the question of how he would deal with regional representation issues post-abolition. He also hinted that he wouldn’t appoint Senators if he became Prime Minister (but didn’t say so outright), and said he wouldn’t agree to reform proposals as his goal is abolition. In response, Minister of State for Democratic Reform Tim Uppal responded saying that his was the only party with a plan for reform, which was being clarified by the Supreme Court, and that the NDP were dodging the issue, hoping to make their own appointments. On Power & Politics, Liberal Senator George Baker schooled Evan Solomon on the utility of the Senate, and the one third of bills that they wind up amending.

Budget secrecy:

Don Martin spoke with former Deputy Minister of Finance Scott Clark about his report on budget secrecy, and the accusations hurled at him in QP today that he was a Liberal partisan – which Clark denied. Clark went through the suggestions he had made to the to Minister of Finance, with things like fixed budget dates, in order to make budget process more transparent in the wake of government’s pledge for more transparency in 2006. During Martin’s MP panel, Megan Leslie pointed out that MPs have less budget information available to them, while Rodger Cuzner pointed out that even former non-partisan civil servants are attacked and dismissed if they express dissenting opinions.

Death of Hugo Chavez:

After the news of the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez broke, Power & Politics reached former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (at 0:07:40) by phone, who described Chavez as a colourful politician with whom he had cordial relations. On Power Play, Marco Vincenzino from Global Strategy Group noted the upcoming 30-day election process which would be an indication as to the path the country now takes, depending on if they are free and fair, or manipulated by the instruments of state power. NDP MP Paul Dewar noted the importance of remaining engaged with the country, and with being a strong partner in the region.

Worth Noting:

Liberal leadership candidate Joyce Murray said she had a surge of supporters after being endorsed by David Suzuki, and likened her electoral cooperation plan to an American-style primary in certain ridings.

After BMO cut their mortgage rate, sparking fears of a possible mortgage war on the horizon, Power & Politics spoke with an MP panel of Shelly Glover, Peggy Nash and Scott Brison. Glover repeated Flaherty’s comments about how they want to prevent a race to the bottom that created the US subprime mortgage crisis. Nash said that the government had previously brought into American practices, and segued into the government’s corporate tax cuts. Brison said that low rates were a good story until they go up, at which point those who are over-leveraged become a threat to financial security, and quipped “You don’t know who’s naked until the tide goes out.”

First Nations policing:

Power Play spoke with AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo about the announcement that First Nations policing funds will be renewed for another five years. Atleo said that it has been an annual frustration trying to ensure adequate funding, as it affects over 400 communities, but this long-term predictable funding shows progress on issues they raised with the Prime Minister at the meeting in January. Atleo said that it is cheaper to educate than to incarcerate, but they need to ensure that the resources are there and that the First Nations drive the process.

Christy Clark:

As the scandal of the leaked memo on an ethnic outreach strategy continues to reverberate in BC, Evan Solomon spoke with BC Liberal MLA Dave Hayer, who said that it was wrong to have that strategy, that all of his colleagues condemned it, and that the premier apologized, promising a full investigation. Hayer said that he believes Clark’s statement that she didn’t know about it, and that they don’t believe that any taxpayer funds were used but that the people would hold them to account in ten weeks. University of Victoria professor James Lawson told Don Martin that the scandal was part of a wider story of a government that has been in power too long, and noted that Clark didn’t have a lot of caucus support to start with. Lawson added that the political sin was looking at ways to make a mockery of apologies for historical wrongs.

The US State Department released its draft environmental impact statement for the Keystone XL pipeline, which said that it would have no impacts and stated that even if the pipeline doesn’t get built, the oilsands are likely to expand anyway. Power & Politics spoke with MPs Peter Julian and Ted Hsu for reaction, where Julian said that the report sets out a public consultation process, and that while Obama has said that climate is important, the Harper government’s record falls short. Hsu said that there will be an impact on the economy of Western Canada whichever way the decision goes, and that while it’s good to diversify the market, we need to develop resources in a sustainable way. Keith Stewart of Greenpeace Canada also weighed in, and said that the report also notes that future demand in the States is likely to decrease as their own domestic production increases, which could mean the pipeline may be deemed unnecessary.

Sequester cuts:

Power Play spoke first with Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Perrin Beatty about the impact of the cuts to Canada. Beatty said that the cuts could mean losing half a percentage point of growth for the American economy, and that while their economy was still positive, the cuts to growth wouldn’t help. Beatty expected a lag of 30 to 60 days in full implementation. Don Martin also spoke to Canadian Ambassador to the US Gary Doer, who said that there is a larger budget coming down in Washington on March 27, which may mean a longer-term package on expenditures and revenues. As for the cuts, Doer said an immediate impact would be overtime ending for customs officers at border crossings, along with orders to take one day in ten off, which will hamper cross-border trade and travel.

EI inspectors:

After CBC obtained documents that advises EI inspectors to check addresses, bank accounts and even physical appearance during their random house calls, Hannah Thibedeau hosted an MP panel of Kellie Leitch, Jack Harris, and Rodger Cuzner. Leitch said that these are the same kinds of inspections that have happened before, and are merely suggestions for questions to ask, be it for regular or special benefits. Cuzner said that in the past, inspections were only done if there was a suspicion of fraud, but making them random turns them into intimidation. Harris said that the government has an attitude problem with the unemployed, citing Finley’s comments about EI being “lucrative,” while these changes are part of attacks on seasonal workers.

Seaspan shipyard CEO Jonathan Whitworth explained why the PBO’s report on the Joint Support Ships was too premature to be accurate, as they don’t even have the platform concepts for the ships approved yet.